Animals as Media
Non-human animals have been represented in various forms of media throughout history. From ancient instances of cave paintings to the plethora of modern day visual media, images of ”the animal” have consistently been produced by all human societies, and for a variety of complex purposes. This course traces key instances of animal portrayal through different epochs, with emphasis on identifying the ways in which humans interact with, and maintain, relationships with animals through their mediated image.
Media Theory
Historical and emergent themes and ideas associated with the academic field and everyday practice of critical media study are presented - "critical” - because our endeavor while witnessing and mapping theory is motivated by a desire to question, critique and seek application to our current and future lived-experience with media. Because media studies involves a number of disciplinary influences, our readings and resources draw from cultural studies, sociology, philosophy. In order to provide some categorical distinction to the wide range of materials we will examine, the course utilizes a taxonomy of media as technology, media as aesthetics and media as power.
Social Media Mash-Up
The practice of networked media collaboration continues to be redefined by technologies that enable people to produce and share image, video, sound and data composites across the world. The active engagement of participatory culture results in collaborative cultural exchange, profoundly affecting business practices, education, creative processes, as well as community life, and democratic citizenship. While studying theories related to remix culture and collaborative process, students develop a variety of digital media projects using Web-based techniques of creation, editing, sharing, and online presentation of vignettes reflecting the composite and distributed nature of our now natural dynamic.
Media Ethics
This course provides a theoretical foundation that enables students to identify and analyze ethical issues in the media. Students are familiarized with scholarly literature and case studies on media ethics and apply ethical decision-making strategies to current and past media practices. Emphasis is on the ethical and moral dilemmas that news, social media, advertising, public relations, and entertainment organizations face in conjunction with their professional obligations and market pressures. Concurrently, we analyze the societal implications resulting from ethical dilemmas and the role of media in relationship to social justice, freedom, diversity, and responsibility.
Media Design
Under examination are the character of different media forms, the relationship between them, and guidelines for choosing which combination is best for a given communications project. Concentrating on design thinking, an experiential tour of the creative toolset and critical precepts of media practice is conducted. Students work with sound, the digital still image and its sequencing, lighting, the moving image and digital post-production and distribution techniques. The course’s broad goal is to connect students to their personal sources of creativity while achieving technical production proficiencies.
Digital Video Production
Expanding beyond the core concepts and skills of producing and editing video and audio, students learn professional production processes and techniques in both media, delving further into the technical aspects of production and post-production. Aesthetic instruction addresses the many ways the resulting project may be conceived stylistically and to solve particular communication issues. Instruction includes lighting, framing, camera movement, recording and digital editing techniques as well as audio, including microphone techniques, recording, editing and mixing skills.